Harrell, Cosart and canine friend enliven drive to Florida

A fresh season requires a fresh coat of paint from Geo Rodriguez on the dugout at Osceola County Stadium on Monday. Pitchers and catchers reported Monday, and the first formal workout of spring training is today.

A fresh season requires a fresh coat of paint from Geo Rodriguez on the dugout at Osceola County Stadium on Monday. Pitchers and catchers reported Monday, and the first formal workout of spring training is

Two weeks ago, the Astros' righthanded starter suddenly found himself in the market for a new friend. Harrell visited the Houston Humane Society on Almeda Road. Before he left, a chocolate-colored Labrador retriever, Lee, was part of his life.

Then Harrell got another friendly idea. Astros pitching prospect Jarred Cosart owned a truck. Harrell had a new dog. Harrell and Cosart were close friends, and both were scheduled to report for spring training at Osceola County Stadium in early February.

Why not make the trip together, Harrell wondered. It'd be like a Hollywood buddy movie. Two baseball players, a car and Lee the lab; nearly 1,000 miles of Texas roads and Southern interstate; all in the name of a new season.

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Cosart was immediately down with the idea. He even came up with a name for their journey.

"Me and Harrell: The adventure," Cosart, 22, said.

And it was. Nothing went truly wrong, but little went perfectly right.

The rental car Harrell booked fell through. So Harrell gave Lee to Cosart while the candidate for the Astros' opening-day starting slot drove his own car to Kissimmee. Soon, it was Cosart and the new Lab, with Harrell trailing behind in his own car as a one-man show.

Cosart on the altered plan: "I'm not a big fan of driving, so having someone with me would've been better."

Harrell: "I followed Jarred, who drives rather swiftly."

A 14-hour trip ensued. There were four stops for food and gas, but no real time was lost. Harrell spent Wednesday night at Cosart's house in League City. At 5 a.m. Thursday, the two pitchers and Lee hit the road. They crossed southeast Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida, arriving in central Florida by 8 p.m.

"I heard about their little caravan," Astros starter Bud Norris said. "It's a fun little trek. But I don't think I'd be able to do it with my dog. That makes it a little longer. They should write a book about it afterward."

Gator avoided

Last year, Cosart made the Kissimmee drive without Harrell, enduring surreal rain in Mississippi and three hours' worth of stalled traffic. This year, Harrell watched three stray dogs bark down a Florida alligator along the side of a road while his Lab remained safely in Cosart's truck.

"He was trained as a police dog, so it wasn't bad," Cosart said. "He just slept the whole time."

Once the trio arrived in Florida, Lee and Harrell reunited in Daytona while Cosart hit Cocoa Beach with his girlfriend. Harrell then drove with his dog to Kissimmee, where the pitcher's renting a spring-training house instead of a cookie-cutter apartment.

Man's best friend

"Having (Lee) here makes it more homey. … For me, it's about having a home atmosphere and kind of relaxing when you go home at the end of the day," Harrell said.

Astros pitching coach Doug Brocail gave Harrell and Cosart the next three days off. Monday marked the new season. While their teammates broke in new spikes and gloves and stretched out sharp new uniforms, Harrell and Cosart fired away in the locker room.

"What were you doing? Where were you yesterday? I texted you, and you didn't get back to me," Harrell said.

Cosart just laughed, never answering.

"Those two guys have big personalities," Astros starter Jordan Lyles said. "They're two different characters. But we love having them around."

Harrell and Cosart didn't exactly love the road trip. But it was a memorable journey. Nostalgia is already kicking in. Their teammates have a soft spot to tease. And Harrell got his new dog safely to Kissimmee.

"It was a good experience," Cosart said. "But I don't know if I'll ever do it again."